


What we can’t accomplish alone, we’ll do together.

by marishawrites



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-18
Updated: 2011-04-18
Packaged: 2017-10-18 08:39:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/187010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marishawrites/pseuds/marishawrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A harmless trip went terribly wrong, leaving the Doctor and Rose stranded on a hostile planet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What we can’t accomplish alone, we’ll do together.

What we can’t accomplish alone,  
We’ll do together.

By Marisha

 

“You don’t even ask,” the Doctor said, astounded. “You just let me do it.” He stared at Rose across the table.

“Right.” She held his gaze.

He would always remember this declaration of trust as the turning point, the moment he let this young naive and stupid human into his life, and worse, into his hearts. He should have known better. Not as if he hadn’t learned a few things in his 900 years, but still.

The Doctor paused to gaze over the sand dunes where they had crash-landed. Stretched out from horizon to horizon, neither stone nor rock to break the pattern, all the same identical flat purple sand hills.

Rose stirred beside him and he laid a hand on her shoulder. He needed water for her and fast. These humans were not built for deserts like he was. He could go on for a while without water, but humans needed so much daily.

Rose licked her cracked lips. “Doctor?”

“Shh.” He held her down gently. “Rest in the shade. And DON’T move,” he added in a  
stricter tone.

Rose raised an eyebrow and he grinned. “Just listen to me for once, will ya?”

She closed her eyes without comment.

That was a bad sign. He had to keep her cool too or she would dehydrate even faster. He smashed his fist into the wooden wall of the TARDIS. Not a smart move, but the pain helped him channel his frustration. Never before had his ship failed him like this. All systems down and no power. He had carried Rose out into the diminishing shadow when the heat inside got intolerable even for him. He didn’t want to think about the night or how to keep Rose warm. Well, if he didn’t find water soon, he wouldn’t have to worry about that. Pain clasped his hearts.

“Oh, Rose,” he whispered as he sank down beside her and cradled her in his arms.



Rose laughed as she danced around the control panel. “You promised a warm planet with long beaches and sunshine.”

“How boring.” He rolled his eyes, which made Rose laugh even harder.

“Admit it, you don’t have a cozy.” (Swimsuit?)

His eyebrows nearly touched his hairline, but he didn’t bother to answer such an absurd  
question.

“You can’t swim.” She stopped to study him for a moment. A smile teased her lips and he looked away quickly to not follow where his thoughts drawled off to.

“That’s it, isn’t it?” Rose put her arms on her hips.

“What?” He threw her a nonchalant look and now it was Rose’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Ye can’t swim.”

“I can.”

“You can’t.”

“Rose, I’m 900 years old, of course I picked up the fine art of moving in water.” He mimicked a couple of breaststrokes.

Rose tilted her head and pursed her lips. “Prove it!”



His calculations had been correct, the coordinates as well, but maybe his timing was a little off. This was Petapoforia — the best beaches in the universe. But what could have gone so wrong? It couldn’t have been more than 300 years since he was here. Well, maybe 450, but surely not more than 500 years. What had destroyed this planet’s ecosystem so entirely?

He could easily lose himself in solving this riddle, after all that was his specialty. But if he didn’t focus here and do it quickly, it wouldn’t matter any more.

He shifted Rose’s weight as his arm fell asleep. Her breathing was shallow. Nothing would matter if he let Rose die. But he was lost. He had gotten so used to her flippant input that his brain went completely blank now.

The TARDIS power was overloaded crashing the systems — the magnetic storms of the planet had seen to that. Just before they crashed he had scanned the planet, no life forms. Where had they all gone? This used to be a crowded planet. No water on the surface either. No point going anywhere, but just sitting here waiting for death was so not his style.  
“Think! Think! Think!” he reiterated as a mantra. His fear of losing Rose paralyzed his thinking. He had to block her out. Tenderly, he laid her back in the sand and got up. Covering his eyes, he searched the horizon again. He stepped out of the shadow and around the TARDIS. Ignoring the heat wave of the three suns, he recalculated the distance to the next dunes. Too far to carry her there.

Wait, what was that? He strained his eyes. Movement! Or was it just a trick of the eyes? No, there it was again. Something was shifting on the dunes and it was coming towards them. Relief washed over him and he waved his arms like windmills.

Covered in dust and sand, he could only make out their Lilac eyes under heavy textiles covering the body.

Petaphorians, he thought grateful.

“Hello, hello,” he grabbed the gloved hand and shook it vigorously. “So glad you found us — I’m the Doctor and my friend –,” he turned to point at the TARDIS, “is in desperate need of liquid.”

As the figure unwrapped the face cloth, the Doctor recognized the features of a female Petaphorian. Her skin was dark green with gold speckles; her protruding snout was covered with fine hairs. She smiled and nodded three times in the official greeting before she nuzzled the Doctor, who copied her gestures.

“Welcome, stranger. Where is your friend?” She motioned her companion to come closer and he produced a skinned bag.

“In the shadow here,” he stepped back and around the TARDIS. The shadow was reduced to a small spot covering Rose’s body. The Petaphorian kneeled beside her and trickled liquid into Rose’s mouth, massaging her throat gently.

The Doctor watched apprehensively, kneading his hands.

“Do you need liquid too?”

His head snapped to the female. “What? Oh, yeah, no,” he looked back at Rose. “I’m fine. She needs it more.”

“Don’t worry. The liquid rehydrates three times faster than water.”

He looked at her. “It’s compatible with other life forms, isn’t it?”

She smiled. “Of course, it is H2O based, absolutely attuned.”

“Good, good,” the Doctor said absentmindedly as he kneeled beside Rose, who stirred. A  
big grin flashed over his face nearly touching his ears as she opened her eyes. “Welcome back.”

Rose’s eyes widened slightly at seeing the Petaphorians.

“It’s okay,” he soothed. “Our friends here saved you.”

“Thank you,” Rose rasped, licking her dry lips.

“You’re welcome,” the female replied. “I think now it's time to introduce us. I am Sarafina and I am accompanied by Melarian.”

The male Petaphorian kneeling beside Rose bowed three times, but didn’t nuzzle her.

The Doctor extended his hand to pull her up. The movement caught her off balance and she leant into the Doctor.

“You okay?” he asked concerned.

“I’m fine.” Rose laughed, blushing slightly. “Just need to get my bearings.”  
Sarafina studied her openly. Rose’s hand went to her hair and she twisted a strand self-  
consciously, leaning more into the Doctor than necessary.

“Well, then,” he turned to Sarafina with a big grin. “There is just one minor problem…”



Rose looked at the Doctor. He grinned back.

“He doesn’t say anything,” she whispered, leaning closer to him.

“Oh, that,” the Doctor laughed. “Petaphorian males do not speak — no vocal cords developed.”

“Really?” Rose raised her eyebrows. A grin tugged at her lips. “What a peaceful life that must be…” She laughed at his consternated glance. “I wouldn’t want you any other way,” she said, sneaking her arm under his elbow. He grinned down at her, tucking her closer as he swaggered off to catch up with the Petaphorian.

“How long have you been living underground?”

Sarafina turned around. “For the last three generations.”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “That long? I was just here. It was a beautiful water planet with lots of beaches and such.”

Sarafina’s snout wiggled. “That must have been before the great change. My family knows it only through the stories.”

“It really didn’t feel that long,” the Doctor mused, tapping Rose’s arm distractedly.

“What caused the big change?” He looked at Sarafina.

“We do not know,” she answered. “The atmosphere changed rapidly, magnetic storms appeared grinding down the mountains to sand. The surface water evaporated as the temperature rose. We fled underground.”

The Doctor tilted his head as he fell into step with Sarafina.

“Underground caves?” Rose had to jog to keep up with them.

Sarafina nodded. “We are lucky, some were filled with drinkable water.”

“The timeline is odd,” the Doctor added. “The planet’s ecosystem shouldn’t have collapsed that fast.”

Sarafina studied him, then lowered her voice. “Well, there are myths.”

“Do tell,” the Doctor beamed. “I love a good story.”

“Melarian, can you run back and let the guards know I’m coming with two visitors?” The male Petaphorian nodded and jogged easily over the sand dunes, taking a few at a time.

At the Doctor’s raised eyebrow, Sarafina blushed a deep golden. “It’s for his own protection. He gets so easily agitated and when he is agitated he gets very chatty.”

“I thought he doesn’t talk,” Rose piped in.

The Petaphorian smiled at her. “Oh, he doesn’t. But males communicate telepathically. So news spread quickly.”

Rose laughed. “Just like back home.”

“So, what’s the myth?” the Doctor asked impatiently.

Sarafina looked around as if worrying she might be overheard.

“You’re not getting in trouble for telling us, are you?” Rose asked and the Doctor nudged  
her slightly. She retaliated with her elbow.

“Well, we’re not supposed to talk about it. Our leaders are worried it will cause unrest.”

“Why so?” the Doctor asked surprised. “Petaphorians are a very peaceful race.”

Sarafina smiled. “We are, but since we are living under ground unhappiness has settled in.  
We are missing the wind and sunshine.”

Rose nodded. “That’s understandable. Go on, then, tell us before we reach the guards.”

Sarafina lowered her voice, the Doctor and Rose had to lean in as she related the story about the great change. It was said a giant machine was hidden underground that created the magnetic storms instead of the endless power it was supposed to. The government and Petaphor, the most influential company, denied its existence, but they provided caves and made them habitable when the storms got out of hand. Soon after they migrated underground, the history of Petapoforia was altered and the offspring weren’t taught about the beaches any more. Generation after generation adapted to the caves. The outside was forgotten until now.

“Until now?” the Doctor whipped back and forth on his heels.

Sarafina looked around again before she answered in a even lower voice. “There are rumors running through the caves that the machine was found.”

“That’s good!” the Doctor beamed.

“It is?” Sarafina and Rose asked at the same time.

“Of course,” he said bouncing with excitement. “We’ll fix the machine, reverse the effect and the Petaphorians will be out and about again!”

Sarafina grabbed at him hope, forming in her eyes.

“Well...” Rose twisted a strand of hair. “A bit ambitious, don’t you think?”

The Doctor grinned wide.

“I'm just saying… Don’t you think the Petaphorians haven’t thought about that themselves?”  
His grin faltered for a second before it spread out from ear to ear again. ”But they don’t have a sonic screwdriver.”

At Rose’s dubious look, he added quickly. “And me!”

Rose laughed. “Of course! Let’s fix it then!”

Sarafina looked horror-stricken. “But you can’t just go there.”

“We can’t?” the Doctor said, mildly surprised.

“Try us!” Rose added with a laugh.

“If it even exists, nobody knows its location.” Sarafina argued.

“No problem. I’ll access your archives,” the Doctor wiggled his screwdriver in front of her face.

“You can’t just march up to it.” Sarafina looked frightened. “It’s controlled by Petapfor.”

“Not to worry.” The Doctor smiled at her reassuringly.

Rose nodded. “We take one danger at a time, don’t we?”

“Exactly!” The Doctor beamed at Rose.

 



 

They made it as far as the first guards before a group of female Petaphorians all dressed in the same military-style outfit arrived to escort them to a holding facility. The Doctor tried a couple of times to stir a conversation, but was shut down by stony faces or harsh gestures. He could feel Rose tensing up beside him and squeezed her hand reassuringly. The way they forced Sarafina with them into this harshly lit cave didn’t impress him, but he tried to keep an open mind. The cave was barren other than what resembled a table and chairs.

The door opened again revealing three Petaphorian females in ceremonial robes.

“Greetings!” The Doctor stepped forward with a big smile on his face.

The tallest Petaphorian looked down her snout. She was at least a head taller than the Doctor, radiating authority, her Lilac eyes studying him without any reaction. “Greetings to you, stranger.” she said finally.

Her companions remained silent, but the Doctor noted by their more pronounced skin color that they were quite perturbed by their visitors. Seeing no reason for their worries, he said. “I’m so glad your scouts found us! Thank you!”

“Why are you here? What do you want?” a short plum Petaphorian piped up, unable to contain her anxiety any longer.

The leader shot her a disapproving look and she stepped back quickly.

“We are travelers. Just visiting,” the Doctor offered to ease the tension. “But the magnetic storms interfered and we kind of crash-landed.”

“What is your intention?” the third Petaphorian asked. Her eyes in her sunken face studied him clinically. The scientist, the Doctor thought before blocking her. She tried to scan him - interesting. With an innocent face, he pretended not to have felt the intrusion and hoped  
Rose was out of her reach. She would have been easy prey for a telepath of this training.

“Visiting was our intention,” the Doctor repeated placidly. “To be honest, we’re looking for the famous Petaphorian beaches–”

The plum Petaphorian sucked in a sharp breath, staring wide-eyed at the Doctor. Her counterpart gasped, but their leader remained stoic. The haggard Petaphorian gasped, so the Doctor hastened to say. “But we were very saddened to hear they don’t exist any more.”

“For more than 300 years,” the leader said dryly.

“Too sad,” the Doctor smiled. “I really remembered them quite fondly.”

“You have been here?” the plum Petaphorian exclaimed.

“None of us has seen them,” the haggard one added. “What did they look like?”

The leader’s snout turned deep green and both her companions looked embarrassed to the ground.

“Your words mark your intention,” the leader said.

“Really?” the Doctor’s eyebrows raised high.

“I’m sorry we can’t allow it! You will be contained until the council has decided your fate.”

A muffled cry escaped Sarafina as she sank down, burying her head in her hands.

The Doctor glanced at her, then back at the group. “I’m sure we can–”

But the leader turned without another word and her companions followed her out of the cave.

As soon as the three left, Rose knelt beside Sarafina. She gently laid a hand on the Petaphorian’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll explain all.” Rose looked over to him for confirmation. He grinned and flashed his sonic screwdriver. Rose beamed back before addressing Sarafina again. “You haven’t done anything wrong–”

“Yet,” the Doctor added cheerfully and Rose sent him a reproachful look.

“They can’t keep you here,” she added hastily. “You saved us. You did something good.”

“But not if you stir up trouble,” Sarafina mumbled through her hands. “You don’t know  
what the council means.”

“Can’t be that bad,” Rose said and the Doctor shrugged his shoulders.

Sarafina peeked through her fingers. “They decided where to dispose of us.”

“What?” The Doctor sung around. He knelt by her side. “They wouldn’t dare! That’s against the Shadow Proclamation!”

“What is?” Rose looked at him, confused.

Sarafina turned to the Doctor. “Well, they won’t execute us, just drop us back on the surface.”

“With a certain supply of liquids and nourishment, I suppose?” the Doctor frowned.

Sarafina nodded. “Death would be certain.”

The Doctor’s eyes flashed with anger. “The Petaphorians have really 'evolved' since I last visited them.”

“It’s not all of us,” Sarafina pleaded. “But since we are underground and Petafor rules, our society has changed.”

“And now I come and reminded them of the old time,” the Doctor thought aloud.

Sarafina nodded. “That made it worse. That remark was our sentence, for Petafor fears any reference to the old world. It could raise the critique and cause unrest. Give them fuel — maybe start a revolution.”

“And I opened the door for them.” The Doctor slapped his head.

“But Sarafina hasn’t done anything,” Rose insisted. “They should let her go.”

“She brought us here,” the Doctor said, smiling ruefully. “They think Sarafina is a revolutionary for bringing us here. That seals her fate with ours.”

“That is so not fair,” Rose looked at him.

“No,” Sarafina mumbled. “And that is why somebody has to make a change.” She lifted her  
head and smiled hesitantly at Rose.

“That’s the spirit,” Rose said and turned to the Doctor. “So, we’re getting out.”

The Doctor grinned wide, sprang up and sprinted to the door. “Working on it.” Slowly, he  
ran the sonic screwdriver over the lock. A soft pop was followed by a swish. He looked back over his shoulder. “Early opening mechanism — very easy to override.”

Rose offered Sarafina her hand. “Let’s find the nearest control unit, shall we?”

Sarafina looked dubious, but took it. “The central unit is three caves down, but it is heavily guarded.”

“We’ll just have to find a distraction,” Rose said.

The Doctor nodded. “But it would be better if we concealed our breakout a bit longer.”

Sarafina curled her lower lip. “Would the library work?”

“Brilliant!” The Doctor bounced. “No good standing around here. Move out.”

Rose jumped to his side and took his outstretched hand. “You lead, Sarafina.”

The Petaphorian sneaked around a corner and headed into a dark tunnel. “A short cut, “ she explained apologetically. “Best to avoid the lit tunnels — too many eyes.”

“Works for us,” the Doctor beamed.



Transfixed, the Doctor stared at the monitor. Its light illuminated his face a ghastly green as he tapped the console in rapid succession.

Sarafina tiptoed from one side to side of the cubicle glancing over the small divider from time to time. A second female Petaphorian watched them suspiciously as she walked between the shelves. Sarafina had convinced her to let the stranger use the terminal. Sarafina went back to her and they whispered rapidly as Rose bent over the Doctor’s shoulder. “Anything?”

“Ahya,” the Doctor answered, tapping the screen even faster. At Rose’s exasperated sigh, he looked up and grinned. “All very interesting. The Petaphorian history, art…”

Rose raised her eyebrows. “And?”

“Oh,” the Doctor stopped his lecture. “Nearly got the location of the machine.”

“So, it’s not a myth?”

“No, they wanted the ultimate power source.” The Doctor glanced over to the Petaphorians quickly, then leant closer to Rose. “Petafor was successful and destroyed the planet’s surface. You know–” He bent even closer to Rose and she copied him. “You humans should really learn from this.”

She frowned.

“With your energy hunger, you’re heading in the same direction.”

Rose rolled her eyes.

“I’m just saying.” The Doctor crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I won’t be there all the time to save you lot.”

“Don’t say that.” Rose slapped him playfully, but he remained serious, studying her with an unreadable expression. Rose fidgeted under his stare, pulling a strand of hair. “'Kay.” Rose looked over to Sarafina. “But you can fix it.” She nodded in their direction.

The Doctor remained stern. “You know…”

But at Rose’s alarmed expression, he broke into a grin. “Of course, I can. We just have to get there.”

Rose breathed out relieved. “Let's go then.”

Two steps out of the library, the alarms shrieked dully. Rose looked over her shoulder to the nervous librarian. Rose smiled encouragingly before whispering to the Doctor. “I think we’re spotted.” He nodded grimly and took her hand. Sarafina jumped into an opening tunnel to their right and the Doctor had to run to keep up with her.

“Where to now?” Rose jogged behind them.

“My family has a meeting place,” Sarafina turned half back. “We can hide there for now.”

“But won’t they search your family first?” Rose pointed out.

“It’s concealed,” Sarafina explained. “Only the elders know about it. Once we’re there, I’ll  
summon them.”

The Doctor nodded. “A little help wouldn’t hurt.”

 

Sarafina took them through three more caves connected through low tunnels, each more scarcely lit, until she stopped at a dead end. Rose looked around. The Doctor squeezed her hand reassuringly. Sarafina closed her eyes and hummed. The solid wall in front of them shivered as if waves were riddling across its surface. Rose’s eyes widened.

“Metamorphic,” the Doctor explained excited.

And now Rose could see it too. Tiny creatures crawled from the ceiling down thus creating the rippling effect and leaving a dark hole behind. When the opening was wide enough,

Sarafina stepped through and the Doctor pulled Rose in behind him.

“Tiny amorphic lifeforms that can form a solid object once they are in stasis. You wake them up with a low frequency–”

“Et voilà an opening.” Rose finished for him.

“Exactly,” he beamed at her. “Fantastic.”

“Quite,” she grinned.

As soon as they entered the grotto, the metamorphics sealed the cave and a soft light illuminated their surroundings. A low stone table dominated the centre with soft cushions spread out around it. Thick carpets with colorful emblems covered the floor and walls. Water trickled into a small basin surrounded by a rock garden.

“Comfy,” Rose said with a smile.

“We meet here quite often,” Sarafina admitted.

“Why does your family have a concealed meeting room?” Rose asked and Sarafina’s snout  
darkened.

“We’re one of the oldest families with the most oral records of the Time before Change.”

“So?” The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

“Petafor sees us as a threat and we’re not allowed to meet in public.”

 

It didn’t take long for Sarafina’s family to arrive. The cavern filled rapidly with Petaphorian females chattering away their nervousness and the males, whose looks betrayed their silent arguments. Melarian came and after a quick nuzzle with Sarafina never left her side.

Sarafina seemed braver now with him being at her side. In short words, she related what had happened and filled her family in on how it came that she was on all the info screens now as unwanted person — priority green. Her report brought a wave of questions; all females seemed to be talking at the same time. The Doctor leant on the cave wall, arms crossed, following the argument. Rose tugged his arm and he grinned as he turned to her.

“Fantastic? Isn’t it?”

Rose smiled. “So why don’t we speed it up? Looks like Sarafina could use some backup.”

The Doctor looked over to the Petaphorians. “Nah, she can handle it just fine. Some things they need to decide for themselves.”

The discussion heated up until an older Petaphorian called for order.

The Doctor nodded approvingly. “Now things will be decided. The family matriarch has the word.”

The elder was drilling Sarafina about the risks and if they are really ready for this.

Sarafina argued aloud while Melarian argued on her behalf with the males.

“If we help these strangers,” the matriarch pointed to Rose and the Doctor, who waved back with a big grin, “then the whole clan has to stand behind it for we’ll start an uproar.”

The Doctor clapped his hands, excited, but the Petaphorian ignored him. “We need some assurance that he isn’t just making this up.”

The Doctor stepped forward. “What would you like? The color of the Pemorian Sea or the rock formations on Sandy Cove? Or maybe the city outline of Peta? The lilac color of the sky, the wyres flying free? The sweetness of their song…” He raised an eyebrow encouragingly, but the cave filled with silent awe.

The matriarch blinked tears away. “The legends! My grandmother told me about them.”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “What color did the high bushes have?”

The Doctor smiled. “None. There never were bushes or trees on Petaphoria. All beaches and water. That’s why you still have the gills behind your ears.”

Sarafina pulled her collar back, impressed. “Nobody knows about them.”

The matriarch nodded. “The area is covered up now to avoid the sand getting in. We  
believe you.” She turned to the others. “If we agree, our lives will be changed forever —  
for better or worse.”

“For better or worse,” the hall echoed and the males put their hands on their chests.

“It’s decided then,” the matriarch looked at the Doctor. “What is your plan?”

 



“My family should distract them,” Sarafina said over her shoulder running down a dimly lid corridor. “Do you have the location?”

“Yep,” the Doctor nodded. “It’s in the North East, an old underground structure.”

Sarafina stopped. “It’s not part of the cave system?”

“No, does it matter?” The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

Sarafina’s shoulders slumped. “If we have to go above ground, they can spot us.”

“How?” Rose asked between catching her breath.

“Above ground radar?” the Doctor looked at Sarafina, who nodded. “That’s how they found the TARDIS and us in the first place.”

“What’s it for — detecting enemies?” Rose asked.

The Doctor nodded. “And finding lost Petaphorians, I assume.”

“From time to time, we sent out explorations,” Sarafina explained. “To observes changes in the ecosystem.”

“We’ll risk it,” the Doctor stepped forward impatiently. “The computer said the grand hall  
was to the North East — only 50 meters away. We run for it.”

“And we are good at that,” Rose added reassuringly as the Doctor flashed her a smile.

Sarafina sighed. “Well, then let me tell my family to draw them towards the South.” She  
closed her eyes and hummed in a deep tone, her snout hairs vibrated and the Doctor could feel the hairs on his arms stand up. Then it stopped and Sarafina opened her eyes. “Let’s run.”

They sped down another tunnel and a couple of caves until they reached a hall similar to the entrance one. Sarafina stopped abruptly. There was movement up ahead. Not daring to breathe, they pressed against the walls. The Doctor strained his ears, but couldn’t hear anything. Sarafina closed her eyes, her snout hairs vibrating violently.

“It’s Melarian,” she opened her eyes, surprised.

“Well, then,” the Doctor pealed off the wall. “Let’s chat with them then.”

They stepped out of the shadows and closer to the group of male Petaphorians.

“What are you doing here?” Sarafina touched Melarian.

He smiled; they closed their eyes. The other males stood uneasily around them eying the  
Doctor and Rose with nervous interest.

“What’s going on?” Rose whispered, leaning closer into him.

“I guess we are getting new helpers,” he grinned broadly at the males.

“No!” Sarafina’s eyes shot open and she shook her head vigorously.

Melarian laid a hand on her arm.

“I think it is an excellent idea,” the Doctor said grinning widely.

“How?” Sarafina looked at him.

“They will be a perfect diversion,” the Doctor ignored her question. “We’ll start running at the same time in groups of three. Each group in a different direction and by the time  
they've figured who is who, we’re already in the cave.”

“Let’s do it.” Rose jumped beside him.

“What if they catch them?” Sarafina looked from Melarian to the Doctor.

“It’s a risk they are taking,” the Doctor said. “I wish there was another way, but there isn’t.”

Melarian nodded and made an okay signal to the other males. They regrouped instantly.

“Okay, then.” the Doctor bounced on his heels. “I have the coordinates programmed in the sonic screwdriver.”

“Let’s move.” Rose stepped forward.

 

A rock wall obscured the cave entrance as a shield from the magnetic storms. As soon as they stepped around it, the winds pulled forcefully at them.

“We can’t go out there! Not in a storm!” Sarafina retreated.

“That’s even better for us,” the Doctor grinned. “It will obscure their radar. On three then?”

“Are there any entrances close by for the others?” Rose looked at him.

The Doctor tilted his head.

“Well, I’m just saying… they don’t have a screwdriver to guide them.”

Melarian stepped beside her and laid his hand slightly on her arm. We’ll be fine. Rose’s eyes widened at his telepathic message.

“That’s solved,” the Doctor grinned and took Rose’s hand. “Sarafina, you should hold on to Rose.”

The Petaphorian did as she was told and the Doctor set out at a jog.

The storm was raging. Wind gusts pummeled his body as he pushed through the dusty whirls. The howling drowned any other sounds. He felt the storm trying to tear Rose away, but his fingers grasped her hand like steel. He could feel her struggling behind him. The sandstorm was making breathing hard for her, but he had to push on for them to succeed. Just a few more steps. Her hand went limp, he felt her stumbling and he launched forward into the safety of cave pulling Rose and Sarafina in.

For a moment they stood in absolute darkness and all he could hear was Rose wheezing. He switched on the sonic screwdriver and a circle of blue light illuminated them. Sarafina was swaying slightly, her eyes shut tight and her breathing shallow. Rose put an arm around her shoulder. Seeing they were safe, he rotated on the spot looking for a tunnel.

“Doctor!” Rose called out as he left them in the darkness.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, already focused on the tasked ahead.

“Wait for us! Will ya!” Rose sounded indignant.

“Found it,” he grinned.

Green light flooded the cave and Sarafina jumped back in fright. “Quick! We have to leave!”

Surprised, he looked at her.

“But we just got here,” Rose spoke out his thought.

The Petaphorian shivered with terror. “Green light stands for danger — unstable cave, poison gas.”

He raised an eyebrow and scanned the cave. “Nope. Can’t detect anything.” He turned to

Sarafina. “It’s probably just to keep you lot out.” With that he marched down the corridor.

“See,” he heard Rose say. “Come before we lose him.”

He curved into the corridor on the right. “Hurry up, we don’t have all day,” he called over his shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” Rose called after him and he grinned. He could just picture her rolling her eyes at him. With two steps, he jumped down the stairs leading into a vast hall holding the central mainframe.

“Whoa!” he heard Rose exclaim as she stepped on the balcony gazing at the dimensions of the chamber. He had not bothered to stop. He had seen huge machinery like this before — on his home planet. The entire structure was filled with technology — the mainframe in the middle. Gigantic turbines ventilated the building filling it with a low-level hum.  
A console stretched out in front of him and he ran the screwdriver over it, but the scan didn’t give away anything. So he dived under the console to get better readings. Immersed in his work, he heard Rose and Sarafina approaching.

“Did you see the logo?” Sarafina whispered.

“Pretty impressive,” Rose answered.

“It’s Petafor,” Sarafina replied. “The myths are true.”

They stopped at his legs.

“Ohmmh, Doctor?” Rose said and he shot out from under the console.

“Yeah,” he answered, distracted.

Rose pointed at the console lights. “They are all green.”

The Doctor threw her an ‘I-can-see-that’ look and Rose shrugged. “Just thought this might  
be a warning signal.”

“So?” He raised his eyebrows.

“To call in the troops.”

“Oh.” The Doctor looked back at the lights and flashed his screwdriver over some. “Well,  
mmh, can’t turn them off. Have to work faster.” He twisted around to Sarafina. “The maps here read that there is only one exit.”

Sarafina looked wide-eyed at him.

“Could you explore to see if there is an alternative?”

Her face broke into a relieved smile. “Sure, I’ll scout.”

“Why did you want her out of the way?” Rose whispered.

The Doctor leant heavily on the console and rubbed his eyes.

“What is it?” Rose laid a hand on his arm.

Judging by her expression, his eyes had betrayed him and shown her the darkness he was feeling. She squeezed his arm and sadness washed over him. Rose held eye contact, barely breathing.

He sighed. “If I reset the machine to restore the planet to its original state, it would take  
up all the power.”

Rose nodded for him to go on.

“There won’t be anything left to refuel the TARDIS.”

“Oh.”

He nodded. “We would be stranded.”

 



 

“I’m sure you'll think of something,” Rose said. The Doctor shrugged, but she brushed his doubts away. “We’ll search for a new energy source once the planet is restored.”

The Doctor shook his head. “Or we refuel the TARDIS,” he said quietly.

Her eyes widened in realization and he looked away.

“What about the Petaphors? Sarafina and her family?”

He stared straight ahead. “We could find them a new planet.”

“This is their home,” Rose’s voice shook with disbelief. “And if they don’t want to leave?”

He turned his back to her, busying himself with the console. “They would be sent to the committee.”

“Killed, you mean.” Rose grabbed his arm to make him look at her. “We can’t let that  
happen!”

He watched her with an impassive face. “We might have no other choice.”

“No, we dragged then into this—” she held his gaze.

“It was their decision to join us.” He tried to remain calm and practical, but Rose’s eyes betrayed her outrage.

“We won’t betray them!”

“You sacrifice your return ticket, then?” he said in a cold voice, fully knowing his words would hurt her. Rose swallowed hard and he instantly regretted his harsh tone. “You would never see your mother again,” he added softly.

Rose bit her lower lip. It still amazed him how openly she showed her feelings.

“What about you?” she asked hugging herself.

He shrugged. “I might live long enough for them to invent a new power source — in a couple of centuries.”

“Yeah, well — I believe in us.” Rose took a deep breath and he had to smile at her determination.

“Rose Tyler — you are amazing!”

Rose smiled weakly.

 

The sound of marching feet echoed through the hall as voices shouted orders. Rose shot around to look at the balcony as the Doctor grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him.

Sarafina came running back. “There are no exits.”

“Well, then,” the Doctor said.

“Do NOT move,” a hard female voice rang through the hall.

A laser beam swished into the ground. Slowly, the doctor raised his hands, hiding the  
screwdriver in his sleeve. Rose and Sarafina followed his gesture.

“We had not intentions to.” The Doctor smiled widely. “But while you are up there, please have a close look at the logo.”

“Don’t listen to him,” the tall Petaphorian ordered in a harsh voice.

“They are escaped prisoners,” piped up the chubby Petaphorian.

The Doctor felt Rose peeking out behind him. “Nice to see you again, too.”

He shot her a quick glaze, then bowed slightly to the ladies. “I was hoping we would meet again.”

“Enough! We know what you’re up to,” the leader cut him short. “I don’t think we should wait until council. We should end this nuisance right here.”

“But,” the plumb Petaphorian looked at her, “that’s against our laws.”

“Maybe it’s time to rethink them,” the Doctor said. “It would be more polite to listen to strangers first before disposing of them.” His eyes were steel-blue as he stared the leader down.

“Why should we?”

“Because of what we have to offer,” the Doctor replied calmly.

“What could a wanderer offer a mature society like ours?” the haggard-looking Petaphorian  
fixated him and this time the Doctor let her see a split second of his mind. Her eyes widened in recognition and she broke the contact fast. A smile played around the Doctor’s lips as he turned to Rose; he winked and she grinned back.

He addressed the leader of the guard Petaphorians. “You deciphered the logo yet?”

Deliberately, he lowered his hands. The captain squinted at him but remained silent.

“Petafor,” the Doctor explained nonchalantly. “The same company that denied the  
existence of the machine for nearly 300 years. Doesn’t that strike you odd?”

The captain looked at the leader for instructions.

“Ignore him,” she ordered. “He has no authority.”

“But he is right,” Sarafina piped up.

The guard captain swung around to her and Sarafina made the proper gesture of addressing a guard member. The captain acknowledged her and Sarafina took heart. “The traveler is right. We were raised with a distorted image of our past. This machine was denied and lied about. They couldn’t discredit the stories of the ancients about how this planet once had beaches and was a waterworld, but we’re raised to believe in a natural disaster.”

Some of the guard nodded.

“Fairy Tales to soothe little ones,” the tall one said and the chubby Petaphorian at her side nodded.

“How dare you question our history?” she spat at Sarafina.

“Because I was also told about the machine and Petafor’s power.”

“Lies,” replied the Petaphorian and her double chin wobbled dangerously as her color changed rapidly.

“What have you heard?” the haggard-looking Petaphorian asked quietly. She looked drained after her connection with the Doctor and he made a mental note not to allow mind contact again.

Sarafina turned to her and went through the motions of formal addressing, but the other waved impatiently for her to continue.

“Our world was rich in culture and beauty. Petaphorians lived by the seas in marvelous beach cities — of which we can still see the skeletons. But our society was in constant need for more power to fuel our lifestyle.” She looked at the other Petaphorian, who nodded slightly.

“We had great ambitions, too. We wanted to reach the stars after we met a traveler from them.”

Realization rushed over the Doctor’s face. “A traveler?”

The haggard one nodded. “In a blue box — or so legend says.”

Rose touched his hand gently. “It wasn’t your fault,” she whispered leaning into him, but the look in his eyes betrayed him.

“So much fascination the stars held for us,” the leader reminiscent as her gaze drifted into the distance.

The Doctor watched her silently — his eyes dark, but not cold any more.

“Your ship looks like that.” Sarafina looked over her shoulder at him and the Doctor nodded slightly. “So Petafor invented a machine of immense power.”

“So legend says,” the Petaphorian said tonelessly.

“So what went wrong?” the Doctor asked quietly.

Sarafina shrugged her shoulders. “The myths are very vague afterwards.”

The thin Petaphorian suddenly looked very old as she stepped closer to the Doctor. “The machine backfired as the unstable material collapsed thus wiping out the electro-magnetic equilibrium.”

The Doctor nodded. “Ripping the ecosystem apart at its core.”

“How?” Rose looked at him.

The Doctor smiled at her sadly. “The outbalanced electro-magnetic force accumulated into ravening storms — grinding down mountains, filling seas with debris. What liquid was left evaporated under the two suns.” (didn't you say three?)

Rose looked at the haggard Petaphorian, who nodded.

“Stop it!” the principal shouted, but the other shot around to face her.

“It’s too late. Too many Petaphorians know the truth by now. How about we swallow our pride for once and ask the stranger for help?”

The leader glowered at her, but at the apprehensive stares from the others, she gave in.

“Step down,” she ordered. The guards lowered their weapons and stepped back.

The faded Petaphorian turned to the Doctor, her snout burning with red spots. “Rumors have it, you can reverse the process?”

The Doctor glanced at Sarafina. “Words travel fast as always.”

She shrugged. “My family likes to talk.”

The Doctor grinned before he spoke to the other Petaphorians.

“I can manipulate the machine to calm down the storms and re-pole the magnetic energy to revive the ecosystem.”

“How long would that take?” The chief stepped closer with interest.

The Doctor rubbed his chin. “Well, it all depends on… in consideration with… taking in mind.”

“A generation?” The leader asked eagerly.

The Doctor stopped and gave her a big smile. “A month or two.”

“What?” Murmurs filled the hall as the Petaphorians absorbed the info.

The haggard one shook her head. “That’s too disruptive. That’s what caused the destruction in the first place.”

“Yep, cause you didn’t use the extrapolator properly.” The Doctor crossed his arms smugly. “If YOU manipulated it in an accurate manner,” he looked deep into her eyes, “and took all into consideration, it would be quite doable.”

“But nobody has that capacity — not even all our computers combined,” she countered.

The Doctor grinned wide as he tabbed his head. “Try me.”

Rose laughed softly and he shot her a hurt look.

“What’s the risk?” the chief asked.

The Doctor turned to her. “For me to blow up your planet?”

Her color changed rapidly before she nodded.

“Mmmh… 50 : 50, I would say,” the Doctor mused aloud.

Outraged buzzing engulfed them and Rose stepped a bit closer to him. Unperturbed, the Doctor looked around. “Life always demands a risk.”

“Easy for you to say,” the leader said. “You just fly way.”

Abashed, the Doctor looked at his shoes. “Well, yes, therein lies a tiny problem. My ship crashed because of your magnetic storms,” he added accusingly. “It’s drained of all power.”

“So?” the chief looked at him without seeing his point, but the haggard one nodded. “For him to refuel he would need all the energy generated by our machines and it would probably burn them out in the progress.”

“So, we’re in on the ride,” the Doctor said taking Rose’s hand. “The reversion process will burn up the machine.”

“You destroy it?” the leader said in a low tone.

“Well, what do you want it for?” the Doctor asked annoyed. “Destroy your planet a second time?”

The leader looked as if he had hit her. “You’ll be stranded.”

“Yep,” the Doctor grinned. “I’ve been to worse places. A nice quiet beach life might do me  
some good.” He avoided looking at Rose for he knew he could not fool her.

“We’ll get used to it,” Rose squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“Unless you don’t have too,” the haggard one said.

The Doctor swished around. “You have an additional energy source?”

“Corifina, you can’t! That’s a council decision!”

The Doctor’s head shot back around to her. “Well, then call in the council. We have time.”

 

The chief retreated with Corifina and the plum Petaphorian into the shadows under the stairs.

Rose cranked her head.

“They are contacting the members right from here,” Sarafina said surprised. “See how  
their color changed? They are already in session.”

“Well, no point in standing around here,” the Doctor said and slid down to the ground. “I  
bet it’ll take a while.”

Rose snuggled down beside him and put her head on his shoulder. Sarafina observed them undecidedly, then she walked over to the guards talking quietly with them.

“What do you think?” Rose mumbled into his shoulder.

He peeked down at her. “Don’t know.” He sneaked his arm around her and within seconds,  
Rose was asleep. After all the running, he didn’t realize how exhausted she must have been — humans needed so much sleep. He cradled her in his arm and rested his chin on her head.

 

He shook her gently. “They are back.”

Rose sat up and looked around disoriented. “How long did I sleep?”

He grinned. “An hour.”

Her eyes widened. “You should have wakened me!”

“Why? Nothing happened.” He jumped up and extended his hand to pull her up.

“So?” The Doctor whipped impatiently on his heels.

“The council came to a decision,” the chief answered with her old dignity.

The Doctor rubbed his hands. “Let's hear it then.”

“There is a secondary system. It was shut down after the first crashed,” Corifina stepped  
forward.

The Doctor’s eyes lit up.

“With an ancient code, you can link the systems together.” She looked at him seriously. “If your calculations are correct,” she let the sentence hang, but the Doctor just grinned and motioned her to go on. “When you start the reverse process the machine should provide energy to power your ship as well.”

“Fantastic!” The Doctor clapped his hands as he smiled at Rose. She beamed back.

The leader cleared her throat. “We’ll give you the code on one condition.”

The Doctor’s smile faded. “That would be?”

She looked him straight in the face. “You’ll leave this planet and never return.”

“What?” Disbelief flashed over Rose’s face. “He’s the one who’ll fix your problems!”

The Doctor laid a hand on her shoulder, but addressed the chief. “I’m also the one who caused it.”

She nodded. “We hope our people have learned their lesson to not reach for the stars.  
Your name and ship will be entered in the archives as banned.”

“That’s not fair,” Sarafina interrupted, but the matriarch ignored her.

“Your decision?”

The Doctor’s blue eyes darkened. “I’ll accept.”

“But—,” Rose and Sarafina started, but the Doctor held up his hand.

“I’ll erase Petaforia’s coordinates from the TARDIS mainframe, so it won’t be able to lock  
on. But,” his eyes shone cold, “this also means I won’t be able to help you again — ever.”

The chief swallowed hard as her companions put their heads together in unease.

“That’s a risk we have to take.”

“Good.” The Doctor buried his hands in his pockets. “Then let’s get to work.”

 

His fingers flew over the dials, resetting the data stream his screwdriver was feeding him  
as he bent even lower. Absorbed by the riddle to solve, the complicated algorithms to reset the progress, he still made sure Rose was not wandering off. A quick glance. She was sitting with Sarafina. That’s good. He concentrated on the task again. He knew she was still angry with the Petaphorians for kicking him out. Her body language couldn’t be clearer if she were screaming at them. It gave him an odd fuzzy feeling in his left heart — one he hadn’t felt for a long time. One he had sworn to never fall for again for it would break his hearts in the end, but he had missed it. The connection cable frizzled in front of him.

“Oops,” he grinned. The sonic screwdriver setting was a bit strong. Corifina frowned and he cussed at being so easily distracted by Rose. He dove into the algorithm and lost himself in the calculations for the next few minutes, but Rose’s embarrassed giggle brought him back. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her blush scarlet. What are they talking about? His curiosity got the better of him and he looked over. He grinned and Rose waved, her blush turning even darker. Sarafina watched amused.

What’s going on?

The console peeped, turning all green lights to blue.

“Well, that’s it.” He clasped his hands and looked at Carafina. “If you want to let the chief know...”

The Petaphorian nodded and left him.

He got up and wandered over to Rose and Sarafina.

“OH, you change colours too,” he heard Sarafina cooing and Rose laughed. “Well, only one shade.”

“But what a beautiful tone,” Sarafina added. “And I can guess its meaning too.”

Rose laughed and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

“I’m glad the ladies are having fun,” the Doctor said, towering over them with a grin.

Rose giggled and Sarafina managed to ask how it was going.

“Done.” The Doctor extended his hand and Rose grabbed it to pull herself up.

Sarafina followed suit. “Already?”

“Told you, he is good.” Rose said and the Doctor beamed at her.

“The boss is sending out a warning for everybody to stay underground and then—”

“Push the red button?” Rose finished for him.

He grinned wide. “Something like that.”

They walked over to the console where the chief and Carifina were waiting. “We are prepared.”

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver. “Well, then.” Rose sneaked her hand in his, stepping a bit closer. He flashed her a smile, then pointed the sonic wave at the console.

A low humming resonated in the hall as it crescendoed into a high pitch like banshees on a night out. The air electrified and prickled down Rose’s skin, but the Doctor squeezed her hand reassuringly as she held onto his arm. The ceiling vibrated, dislocating little rocks, sending them raining down as an explosion muffled through the layers of rock shook the hall. The Petaphorians huddled together.

“It is just the regeneration wave hitting the surface,” the Doctor explained. “Well, then,” he stepped away from the console. “Now we have to wait. Did anybody bring food?”

 



 

“It’s so—,” Rose’s hand sank down.

“Fantastic?” The Doctor rested his hands on her shoulders.

“Yep, sums it up.”

They laughed.

“Let’s check the water.” Rose twisted to glance up at him.

“To see if it’s wet?” His eyebrows arched as a mock smile played his lips.

Rose cuffed him gently and sprang off — with three wild jumps she reached the waterline  
shrieking in delight as the waves splashed over her feet. “It’s real — right.” She laughed.

He crossed his arms leaning on a boulder. “Could have told you so.”

“Yeah?” Mischief twinkled in her eyes.

“Oh, NO! Don’t even think about it!” His eyes crossed as he tried to look strict, but she had  
already bent down and used the force of the oncoming wave to splash him.

“ROSE!”

Laughing, she jumped out of his reach.

“Em,” somebody cleared their throat and the Doctor turned around.

“Oh, chief,” the Doctor smiled unperturbed as he dripped onto the sand. Rose hurried out of the water and joined them.

“Hello.” Shyly she pulled at her wet tee shirt.

“The regeneration process is finished.”

“Glad to hear that,” the Doctor beamed. “All as before?”

The chief nodded solemnly. “As far as we compared with the archives — yes.”

“Excellent,” the Doctor crossed his arms.

Rose perked out behind him. “So you must be happy now.”

“We are grateful,” the chief bowed her head. “That leaves us with the condition.”

The Doctor’s smile vanished. “Ah, yes.”

“It would be very prudent of you to leave us as soon as possible.”

“You’re kicking us out?” Rose stepped beside the Doctor, eyes flashing.

The chief ceased her snout. “It was part of—”

“And it all went well — extremely well,” Rose interrupted.

The Doctor put a hand on her arm. “Let’s go back to the TARDIS.”

“But—” Rose looked at him.

“I agreed to the condition, Rose.” The Doctor said quietly. He turned to the chief, bowing slightly. “We’ll leave immediately.”

She nodded.

“But we didn’t say good-bye to Sarafina.” Rose planted her feet down.

The leader looked at her. “She will be waiting at your ship.”

The Doctor took Rose’s hand and pulled her gently.

For a few meters, they stepped silently through the sand before Rose stopped. “They just walked over you. Why did you let them?”

The Doctor turned to her. His eyes were dark. “ Because I accept the consequences of the past.”

“They should celebrate you!” Rose insisted.

The Doctor nodded. “And some might, but I caused their problems.”

“But not on purpose. You just visited,” Rose said.

“Enough to change their future and I respect that,” he held out his hand. “Let's move on.”

 

Sarafina was already waiting at the TARDIS wearing a flowing light summer dress. The Petaphorian smiled at seeing them and stepped forward. “I was worried I’d miss you!”

“We wouldn’t have left without saying good-bye,” Rose said, looking pointedly at the Doctor.

He scratched his head. “Well, I'll go ahead and fire up the engine.”

Rose rolled her eyes and nodded to Sarafina. He stopped at the door, hands deep in the pocket of his leather jacket. “Real nice meeting you!”

Sarafina nodded three times then nuzzled him.

“Ah, well — good luck to you,” he mumbled as he sneaked quickly through the TARIDS door. “Oh and,” he poked his head out again, “don’t let travelers tempt you!”

Before Sarafina could reply, he ducked back into the ship. Setting the controls to start the engine, he accidentally hit the audio-visual link. Instantly, Rose and Sarafina popped up on the screen.

“He doesn’t like good-byes,” Rose giggled.

He stopped mid-move, eyebrows raised.

“I noticed,” Sarafina laughed. She nodded three times and nuzzled Rose, who engulfed her in an embrace.

So Rose, he thought with a smile.

The Petaphorian returned the gesture, surprised.

“That’s how we say good-bye on Earth.”

Sarafina tilted her head. “I like it!”

He hit the starter and the TARDIS roared to life. Ah what a sound — how I missed you, he caressed the console. On the screen, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Rose nod towards the door.

“I’d better go.”

“It was an honor to meet you.” Sarafina said solemnly. “Neither you or the Doctor will be forgotten on Petapoforia. I’ll tell my off-spring and their off-spring.”

He didn’t really want to watch, but couldn't help noticing Rose blushing.

“You don’t have to. You did most the work.”

Sarafina smiled. “We did it together!”

 

The End


End file.
